Catyph
by Nekocin
Summary: [AU, KaiRei] Kai and his partner were recently transferred into a different branch of their work. In a freak accident Kai ended up protecting the branch's only doctor who turned out to belong to one of the extinct species called nekojin
1. Prologue

**Title:** Catyph  
**Author:** Nekocin  
**Type: **Alternative Universe, series  
**Genres: **Sci-fi, Action, Romance  
**Warnings:** none other than OoC.  
**Pairings:** KaiRei, various  
**Additional notes:** yaoi, Kai's PoV, loosely based on "Kill the crows of three thousand worlds", manga-styled writing n.n;  
Disclaimer: Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao. "Kill the crows of three thousand worlds" belongs to Tsumori Tokio. The fanfiction belongs to me though.

_Kai and his partner were recently transferred into a different branch of their work. In a freak accident Kai ended up protecting the branch's only doctor who turned out to belong to one of the extinct species called neko-jin. (need new summary)_

****

Prologue  
  
_The year is 13482 LYA (Light Years Ahead). Earth's technology has increased drastically the last forty LYA. Dreams of living with the stars and mating with outside species aren't just imaginations of crazy professors and demented idealists. Living within nature and among animals is out of the question. All living areas were constructed into a city where technology mostly rules. Governments had spent a lot of money on building a hundred-percent-wired city where everything would be controlled by giant computers called "Haha-c40". "Hac" for short. They believed that by modernizing the whole city and everything within, Utopia could be created. Utopia--the perfect ideal world where pain, poor and greed has no place. However--_

13482  
Galactic Federation - First Shock  
2023 PM - Military Time

"Lieutenant Kinomiya Takao of the seven division reports a riot orchestrated by punk kids from the First Shock, sir!" the man clad in a rigid white-navy-blue uniform stood in position, straightening his back and shoulders and salutes firmly. His golden name pin with the engraved words "Lieutenant Kinomiya T." gleams occasionally when officials' transport vehicles pass over his head, their sirens squealing for attention and caution.

In the background, the vehicles pause near the arrestees that were ordered to stand against the walls afew minutes ago. Active officers clad in white-navy-blue uniform with no remarkable golden stars pinned on their shoulders step out of the cars, grab the nearest arrestee by his or her cuffed wrists and gather them into the delinquents' bus that has just arrived.

Lieutenant Kinomiya pays no heed to the on-goings at his back. His eyes are solely trained on the higher official, the Lieutenant Colonel Jergen, standing in front of him.  
If he ever as so much dares to shift his attention, he would be court-marshaled and stripped from his rank. Forever stamped as undignified and unqualified cadet for any sorts of mission.

He doesn't want to fail due to such a trivial thing! Even for the likes of a very boring higher official like Robert Jergen, King of the what-the kingdom, heir to the what-the noble family, as the Lieutenant Colonel likes to talk about.

----

_The name "First Shock" is associated to the people who are living near "Hac" because of the fact they'll be the first to get an electric shock when Hac abruptly shuts down or is hacked into. Which was why a lot of people in First Shock had moved into the Fourth Shock for fear of their deaths and their families', when Hac decides it's best to 'sleep' for a while. Those who had decided to stay were mostly people who had no home and no safe haven in the other Shocks. The poor, in other words. Some time after the city was completely equipped with technological devises, riots started breaking out within the First Shock._

The reason?

Still undecided.

But officials speculated that perhaps having Hac as their "mother" was not really a good idea when "she" was awfully ignorant to the pleas of the First Shock. Barbarous, indeed. Anyone who had gone through many schooling would have been able to distinguish that Hac is not human and does not act on its own. Hac is just a prototype of the human intelligence where "she" serves those who command her within her system.

And yet, rebels keep moving forward. Ready to strike down Hac and those who command her. It was like every day is a war against men. The most frightening question anyone had thought about was, will our own creations take over the world and create its own by turning men to their slaves?

----

"What are the casualties?" Lieutenant Colonel Jergen demanded.

"Three of our own are lightly wounded, while five others need immediate treatment. Only two of the rebels are wounded, sir,"

"Investigate on this matter, Lieutenant Kinomiya,"

"Yes, sir!" He saluted and received a stiff salute in return.

- - - - -

Kinomiya threw himself into his chair and stretched out his limbs, moaning,"Finally back home!"

"Did you do much out there, idiot?" His partner remarked sarcastically as he closed the door behind him.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, smarty pants. Just admit it. You're grateful because I saved your ass from those female rebels,"

Hiwatari Kai snorted, sliding his sunglasses back on the bridge of his nose. He walked to the windows, perched himself on the sill and looked down at the scurrying vehicles that are forever bound to soar down there in, only ten feet above the ground in Third Shock. Third Shock--the area where they live.

He felt Kinomiya glare.

"'ch, see if I care when they attack again, Kai,"

He did not respond. He only watched his partner entwine his fingers behind the back of his hand, leaning back while staring above at the white ceiling in the reflection within the window glass.

"Ne, Kai. Why won't you buy contact lenses to conceal those freaky eyes of yours? They're getting on my nerves already,"

"Says the one who tries to jump me several times," He shot back.

"Bastard,"

He had already considered the lenses, before Kinomiya had spoken. Wearing black shades everywhere, anywhere, any time was just too damn tiring. Sadly, using contact lenses didn't work. It was a whole chemical process. Hiding his eyes away under different lenses actually means increasing the concentration of his pupils', say, "power" towards outsiders. In other words, the lenses worked like fire for his wood--his eyes. While the fire consumes the wood, heat is freed. And heat turns outsiders on.

"Using contact lenses is ineffective. My eyes would still enchant those who look into them,"

"Whatever,"

Kinomiya turned his head to look to his right, at the photo frame on the wall.

"--ne, Kai. Do you have a family back home?"

He raised his eyebrows at the reflection of his partner, even though the other didn't couldn't see his expression. "No. I'm an orphan,"

"Oh--sorry for asking ya. Good night," Abruptly, Kinomiya moved to the wall, picked up the photoframe he had been staring at and placed it face-down on the night table next to his bed.

Hiwatari watched his partner's reflection taking off his uniform, leaving his white under shirt and boxers on (one might never know when duty called) before slipping into bed, hands laced upon his chest. There was no sign of uncomfort on Kinomiya's face. Ugh.

Kinomiya's loud snores filled the room in no time.

Hiwatari grimaced. He wondered how many bacteria his partner was welcoming to live on his body with his nonchalant attitude towards hygiene. Maybe it's all right to just stay away from his partner for the night.

"Idiot," He muttered. He slid off his sunglasses and looked at the digital clock on Kinomiya's night table. 1:15 AM -- July 10th, 13482 LYA.

He recalls having overheard his partner talking to other cadets during their training about a July 10th. It was Kinomiya Hitoshi's birthday, his partner's older brother. It was affirmed some time ago that Kinomiya Takao is completely and devoted to his older brother. Which is why the significance behind his partner turning the frame face down still escaped his mind.

Perhaps the older Kinomiya had passed away suddenly. Takao heard nothing of it until some time later. Takao was probably blaming himself for not knowing and for not being there at the burial...

- - - -

_Kinomiya Takao--Kai knew little about his partner's background and yet he knew a lot. Years ago, when he had been paired up with Kinomiya during his first post, he had taken the liberty to find as much information he could on his new partner. It was in his nature to look beforehand instead of agreeing immediately with his arrangement. He always seems to have problems with being partnered with every single -human- on the planet. That's because all his previous partners (during the intensive years of training at the Academy) were simply weak and idiots! They pale whenever his eyes meet theirs on occasion. They squeek whenever he marched past. They screamed whenever he as so much raised his voice in command. Wusses! All the lot!_

The information he had collected on Kinomiya were mostly from the Military Database. Everything mentioned there is confidential and highly-secured within a long and tiring range of password-protected identifications of higher officials. As expected from a Military base.

He had his ways of weaseling Kinomiya's hard-to-find statistics and background--with some help of a friend, a Computer Expert, of course. Hopefully he had gone through without being detected.

Kinomiya was dryly described on his page. The usual statistics regarding his full name, date of birth, eye color, hair color, blood type, his living family and or relatives, the academies he had visited to gain a higher position than Hiwatari's and so on. The analysis on his personality was rather short and too abstract, which wasn't quite a surprise since Kinomiya had yet to missions wherein he could prove his worth.

When they first met, he was greatly disappointed with the first impression he had on Kinomiya. He felt so betrayed that he was ready to pull away from the other's side and sign himself for a different post. Kinomiya was obnoxious, loud, way too cheerful and very, very "piggy" (the guy has a huge appetite). Kai disliked these types of people.

What possessed him to stay by an idiotic guy like Kinomiya was beyond him.  
Maybe he pitied the man (Kinomiya looked lonely enough, even though he had "tons of friends", as he claimed, at school and outside his duty).

Maybe he felt he choosed to stay just to mock the other for his inexperiences (how on earth did Kinomiya graduate from the Military academy anyway? The guy forgot to fix his gun before he went to sleep and promptly leave it behind without noticing).

Maybe he felt both Kinomiya and him were cut from the same wood, but have different ways of showing it to the world (he could annoyingly remind him of himself whenever he picked at his irrate uniform that always stung his alabaster skin).

Or... maybe he just wanted to use him to climb up the ranks within his reach (it was easier to slime a bit on those who had a higher rank; though he was no whore so he dropped this reason immediately).

But over all, what's important he stayed.

There was no one outside as trustworthy as Kinomiya Takao. The man was just too loyal for his own good. It felt as if he had a little puppy trailing behind him, always wanting some sort of encourangement and love. Kinomiya would do anything--albeit a bit grudgingly--for him.

Though let it never be said aloud that Kinomiya had proven himself to be quite an important asset in his life in his past, his present and perhaps in his future as well.

Oh no. He's just temporarily around to help Kai rise up in ranks and--even if he didn't want to admit it--protect his partner from being molested by people, who ever dared to look into his vermouth-colored eyes.

It's not his fault they couldn't resist the chemistry of eye-contacts of someone as unique like him.

- - - - .

Someone has pressed the electronic buzzer.

He immediately goes for his weapon at his side and rushes soundlessly to the mechanic door. It's a trap? No one besides soldiers on duty are awake at this kind of time.

He stretched out his armed hand and typed a quick code to open the door...

There was no one.

He peers carefully outside his apartment and checks the halls for any suspicious character, and finally looks down. There is a letter with the Colonel's official red stamp on the floor. Curiously, he picks up the letter and stepps back into the room, before closing the door off with its password-protected lock.

The letter is addressed to both him and Kinomiya. Why the Colonel would use such a primitive and risky way of sending information news to his subordinates is still a mystery to him. He rips open the side of the envelop and slit out a formal letter.

**-- to be continued --  
**  
Thought I'd tried something new and challenging... even though I haven't ended my poor "Aoi Kodoku". It looks interesting, doesn't it? I failed in trying to write a nice detective fic, so here I am, challenging myself with one of those hard-to-write genres called Science-Fiction and making my life more difficult with this new plot. n.n;;

"_Catyph_" is just a title I'd randomly picked up during last year festivities in December. It's the name of one of the fireworks my store had sold, so there's no real meaning behind it other than that the word has "cat" in the combination. n.n; ****

Thank you for taking your time reading this! Any questions? Clarification?

.:Nekocin:.


	2. 01

**Catyph  
Author:** Nekocin  
**Warnings: **none other than OoC, Kai is so stiff.  
**Pairing:** very mild implied HitoshiBrooklyn  
**Additional notes: **(not yet) yaoi, Kai's PoV, loosely based on "Kill the crows of three thousand worlds", manga-styled writing n.n;  
**Disclaimer:** _Beyblade_ belongs to Aoki Takao. "_Kill the crows of three thousand worlds_" and the name _Purple Heaven _belongs to Tsumori Tokio. _Gucci_ doesn't belong to me. The fanfiction belongs to me though.

**1.**

_13482  
M-HQ - Tenth Shock  
359 AM - Military Time_

It's in the early hours of Thursday when Kai and Takao report themselves to the Tenth Shock's Military Headquarters. They aren't surprised when the receptionist mentions that the Colonel would be expecting their presence at eight--4 hours later.

It isn't quite uncommon to be at the destined place much earlier than expected for it was Kai who did the driving. He is the one who makes sure that they are always on time. But for some reason, still unknown to his partner, Kai has decided to haul Takao's snoring ass before the first sun rays winks above the horizon. There isn't any daylight yet!

Takao had sleepily slipped on his uniform, did not complain about the ungodly hour at which he was rudely awakened and ignored Kai's snide comment about his body odor. Usually, he would complain, complain and complain some more about his partner's heartlessness and painstakingly always-on-time habit, until Kai cuffed his head several times for being a brat (who is obviously twice the age of an average brat, really).

As soon as the receptionist has turned her attention to other incoming on-duty soldiers, Takao sags into one of the uncomfortable plastic waiting chair and falls asleep, head leaning against the wall and murmuring nonsensical things under his breath.

Kai shoots his partner a dirty look for his rudeness, but resists kicking his partner's feet to make the other slip off his chair. He is a -_considerate_- guy too--after all.

In the wee hours between four going to five o'clock in the morning, the military headquarters has already started bustling with soldiers reporting on duty. Occasional '_how are you?_'s; '_how is your family doing?_'s; '_Did you know about the latest developments?_'s are blatantly (and rudely) exchanged in front of him.

Other than the buzzing of whispers and curious pointed looks that were sent his way, Kai has had a normal morning. As far as normal could be defined in his book--which is equivalent to 'not needing to put up with Lieutenant Kinomiya's howls for food' in truth.

And still there are two more hours to go.

Looking over at said lieutenant, he envies his partner for falling so easily asleep within an unknown environment. Sighing soundlessly, he lowers his chin to his chest and...

...glares at the extra pair of feet in front of his.

The new pair of feet is clad in black high heels: trademarked Gucci. Gucci had once been a very expensive trademark that not everyone could afford (now, they're common shoes that lost their qualities as decennia's have gone by). To wear these shoes during on duty is perhaps the most idiotic thing he had ever come across. How would the soldier run with such things? Sure these sorts of shoes kick ass in close combat of one-on-one, but what about morning trainings?

How he knew all this stuff one might wonder. Simple. When he was still a rookie, the older military officers had stuffed him into woman's clothes in order to infiltrate enemy's bases. He couldn't run properly with those high heels, no matter how athletic he were. He couldn't kick with them on for the pressure of his feet being encaged by the material disabled him immediately out of the action field.

"I can't help but notice you standing in this position for a long time. Aren't you a tough guy, eh?"

He lifts his eyes up, just barely enough to observe the soldier standing in front of him from under his bangs.

She's lower in rank, compared to him.

The lady's wearing the usual female military uniform--a long sleeved navy blue vest buttoned up to the neck with Shock Ten's Military HQ's emblem sewn on the left vest pocket and the ends of either sides of the sleeves; Lieutenant-ranking stars are pinned on either shoulders, indicating the rank of the owner of course; not to mention the black skirt that reaches over the knees with long splits on either sides--to give, no doubt, more room for her legs to move freely.  
Or perhaps to make it convenient to seduce her male-comrades.

The flicker lights of the fluorescents in the ceiling reflect the soldier's big pair of round glasses.

"Second Lieutenant Kudou _(1)_ Emily," She introduces herself, saluting lightly and then throws him a coy smile. A few strands of flaming orange-red hair frame her left cheek instantly.

He answers her with silence, though. Vermouth-colored eyes unmoving. Face impassive. What Kinomiya would call the _cold look number 89_, for some reason. The look that annoyed people without really meaning to.

A pregnant silence followed.

Her eyebrows twitches.

"Well--a bit rude, aren't you?" She huffs, offended at getting no response, and plants her hands on either sides of her hips. "Or did a cat cut your tongue? I wouldn't be surprised. He has the most admirers in this division. Recent statistics has proven he has about 299 going to 300 worshipers here. But he's dangerous. Don't you know how many people are scared of him?"

Kai loosens his defensive stance, pushes himself away from the wall, walks to his partner and sits down on the chair next to the sleeping lieutenant's. At least, the snoring comforts him some what compared to that stranger's nonsensical talk to get him interested. The other lieutenant is easily ignored afterward.

He really envies Kinomiya. The guy didn't have female officers running after him on daily basis.

The receptionist laughs suddenly out of the blue.

"I'd rather not have you talk about me behind my back, Emily. You'll never know what I might slip into your food. Could be acid, could be poison. could be--," Someone else other than the receptionist and the second Lieutenant remarks.

There 's a certain masculine timbre within the tone those words that were spoken. Almost mellifluous to his ears. But Kai did not care about to whom this feminine-cross-masculine voice belonged to.

"What can I say, you're just easier to target, darling," The 2nd lieutenant jokes.

The receptionist giggles for some reason. "Good morning, _hakase (2)_,"

"Besides," the 2nd lieutenant continues, "You were kind of scary towards my cadets. I believe one of them had even shit into his pants, as he had put it, when you leaned over to him with your gleaming butcher knife in hand and that really creepy smirk of yours,"

"Did I?"

"Mh-hm. Please keep your blood thirst in check, _hakase_. I'm worried that my cadets won't be able to make it being fathers of their first born,"

The receptionist burst out giggling.

"I really don't see the connection between my work and their marital life,"

"That's the problem! you probably _sexed_ them with your trademark pokerfaced-murder look,"

"Heh, sexed them up?" the doctor feigned outrage.

"Yes! As their commanding officer I have the right to see those young chicks up in the fields without fearing their own doctor would cut them open to exchange their organs with other bodies," Second Lieutenant persists.

"Ew" the receptionist comments in disgust.

"That's because Emily is a bit too interested in my work, aren't you? Hm?" the doctor lets out an amused snicker.

"--you have that gleam in your eyes again, _hakase_!" She points out bluntly.

"Really? I'm oh-so-sorry for _that look_,"

"Whatever, Rei. go back to your work before Max steals your stuff,"

"You don't say...,"

"Shut up!"

"I think you really like Max,"

"_Ha-hakase_!"

"See, you're blushing! Oops. I'm sorry for interrupting your dreams, Emily. It's time for the checkups,"

"Rei--,"

"Hm?"

"_That look_--,"

"Oops--hehe, sorry,"

"Yeah, see you at lunch,"

"Can't. I've a date,"

"A date? Already? With who? Don't tell me it's Boris. Please, don't. He is even scarier than you,"

"--I've a date with a corpse,"

"..._Riiight_. Get going, _hakase_!"

The doctor laughs.

Kai only catches a glimpse of the ends of the doctor's white coat, before showing faint interest to the magazines on the chair next to his. Three magazines babbled on and on about births of military departments and their developments throughout the passing ten years. And the rest were fashion magazines called "Purple Heaven--Side A", the latest issues. Seeing the number of Purple Heavens in the stack, it is possible that it's the most popular magazine in HQ. In other words... did Tenth Shock M-HQ have more women than men stationed here?

**_Issue 481, September 13000 LYA_**  
- _How to make your man want more_  
- _He tore our relationship apart!_  
- Do the test: _Are you bilingual?**  
**_- Astronomically seen: _New Planet Xs discovered!_

**_Issue 989, May 13250 LYA_**  
- **Newest PH-side B preview**  
- _Interview with King of Darkness (a.k.a. Brooklyn)_  
- **OMG! He swings -_that_- way!**  
- **CENSORED ARTICLES!**

**PH-side B, issue 5, January 13482 LYA**  
- **_Between Heaven and Hell!_** Read the newest work of the **_Queen of Slash_**  
- **_Dirty secrets_** as told by the _**NOTEBOOK** _(a.k.a. Kudou Emily)  
- **_Secret (hot!) conversation_** between **King of Darkness** (a.k.a. Brooklyn) and _Shippu no Jing _(a.k.a. _who the hell cares!)_

... he stopped looking through _side B_ as soon as he caught a glimpse of the content page. It wasn't even funny.

**- - - - **

"Ah, Lieutenant Hiwatari! And Lieutenant Kinomiya!"

Both of them straighten their stances and salute. "Sir! Good morning, sir!"

"At ease, men. At ease,"

The Colonel of Tenth Shock M-HQ is strangely a kind old man around his fifties or sixties, already going bald and will planning on growing a long beard perhaps. Why the word "kind" is associated with the Colonel is still a mystery. Higher officials cannot be called "kind old men" for they had dealt much worse case scenarios than catching mere rebels that blew up abandoned building, jeopardizing the main electricity circuit and illegal cyberpunks who would kill just to unravel the secrets within Hac's systems. Perhaps it's the smile. Or those kind blue eyes.

**- - - -**

_Shock Ten--the district known as Cyber Kingdom. Over the years it had produced thousands of Computer Experts, all trying to plant their seeds illegally within the government's network. It's not uncommon to hear friends brag about their latest 'treasures'--secret passages to the most secured networks of the district's business centers or about wives hacking into their husbands' accounts to get a number of allowance for their latest shopping sprees._

Which is where all sorts of crimes begin.

Oblivious bystanders receive banknotes stating their bank credits have turned red; companies bankrupt each other with just a few clicks here and there; sneaky inhabitants dodge tax pays and other sorts of government requirements. The police force of Shock Ten had to merge with the military force in order to keep the district under control. They just didn't have the latest equipments to keep track of every cyberpunks within the district like the military have.  
  
**- - - - **

The Colonel has offered to give them a grand tour through Shock Ten's M-HQ. There's actually nothing interesting to see in HQ unless one counts the uncommon structure of the building's insides, the unevenly-divided spaces and the very gray, bare walls that surround each room or facility.

"I'm so glad you are on my force, Lieutenant Hiwatari, Lieutenant Kinomiya. We've been having a decrease in manpower here ever since the Insomnia Plague had first appeared in Shock Ten 2 months ago," Without further ado, the Colonel goes right to the point of the reason behind their transfer.

Takao blinks, uncomprehendingly. "Insomnia Plague, sir?"

"It's scientifically known as 4032XZA. Doctors had dubbed it Insomnia Plague, Pulp Soma, Sleeping Death--call it whatever you want--it's still a plague, because the virus--we have yet to determine whether there's a new kind of virus or bacteria developing itself through electric lines or not,"

"Sleeping... Death..." Kai murmurs.

"Yes, yes. So far the cause of this -thing- to spread was caused by many the electromagnetism found in our men's headgears. Doctors believe that communication signals create--let's say, unhealthy brainwaves that urge our brain cells to produce strange substances that result to fast aging of these cells themselves," the Colonel elaborates.

"But how?" Not surprisingly, it's Takao who did the inquiry.

"The brains would go on overload and at some time when the waves are too chaotic within they would shut down like a 21st century old computer Windows XP would," Kai explains.

"I see Lieutenant Hiwatari must have read the latest reports in the PH-Side A magazine,"

"PH-side A?"

"It's short for Purple Heaven side A,"

"..." _What about Side B?_

"The symptoms are rather difficult to see by untrained eyes for they are similar to colds, headaches, unstable body temperatures and so on. By the time our doctors notice the frequency of illnesses associated with Sleeping Death, it might be too late, regrettably," The Colonel continues his long story.

Kai suddenly stops walking. "One of the articles in that magazine had mentioned there was nothing wrong with the headgears the military use. No outside wires for spying. No nifty gadgets to see make it look cute. No extra chips to turn it into a ticking bomb,"

The Colonel nods. "We are most likely dealing with someone who is messing with Military facilities through a third party, possibly via our main satellites,"

"A cracker--someone who hacks into systems to steal codes and programming secrets," Kinomiya realized.

They stop walking further from the metal door on their right that has an obvious sign painted across the surface, saying **_Test room MCXL_**.

**-- to be continued --**

**1) **Anyone know her family name? I just made this one up. "Kudou" is the family name of Youji from Weiss Kreuz and from Shinichi from Detective Conan.  
_- vermouth_ -- I saw the color of vermouth wine in a cook book. Kai's eyes does really look like that...  
**2)** Hakase -- another word for doctor or professor. Think Detective Conan where Conan always calls the professor hakase. I could be wrong though...

**TheNekoTalks:**

Uhm... yeah, that's it for now. Short chapters are easily written, but are deceptive in their own ways **:grins:**.  
The ranking isn't really that important, but I'm trying to keep it a bit realistic seeing as I've just started going _ga-ga_ with **_Fullmetal Alchemist _**where there's obviously lots of noting about military ranks. I might be wrong with the whole ranking.

**Thank you for taking your time reading this (and reviewing too) ! Any Clarification?  
**  
**.:Nekocin:.**


End file.
